People
Louw, Marti
Research Associate, Dr. Crowley UPCLOSECarnegie Mellon University, MDes 2003
Contact:
110 LRDC
412-383-6938
412-624-7439
martil@pitt.edu
http://upclose.lrdc.pitt.edu/people/louw.html
Summary:
Louw brings 15 years of experience in science communication and the design of informal learning experiences to the center. Her production and design experience spans a range of educational media and environments including broadcast television, websites, multimedia exhibits and informal learning venues from museum to everyday public spaces.
She has written and produced science documentaries and web content for WGBH/NOVA and the Scientific American Frontiers series on PBS. While at the Chedd-Angier Production Company she produced numerous interactive multimedia exhibits for museums and science-technology centers.
Before joining UPCLOSE, Louw worked at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh as a project developer and grant writer for the NSF funded How People Make Things traveling exhibit [NSF#0407355]. In 2003, Louw completed a MA in Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University where she explored design and human-computer interaction approaches to the conceptualization, development and use of technology in informal learning experiences.
Research Interests: UPCLOSE seeks to bring a practical theory of informal learning into action. I work to enact theory on project-based implementations that creatively bridge informal learning research and interaction design practice from initial conceptulization through realization and summative evaluation. My particular research interest is in the way design and its related communication strategies can be used to create successful educational media, informal learning experiences and produce technology artifacts that positively impact learning. InformalScience.org continue to build-out this online resource to support the growth of a vibrant community of research and practice in the field of informal science education Partner with the Warhol Museum to develop and evaluate a new online curriculum and resources section for their website Conceptulizing and developing the How People Make Things traveling exhibition with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Projects/Labs
- University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE)
- City as Learning Lab (CaLL): Spreading Technological Fluency Through Creative Robotics
- InformalScience
- Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)
- How People Make Things, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Publications
- Design Issues Associate Editor Book Reviews (2004-2005) MIT Press (Abstract-pdf)
- Thesis: Designing for Delight: The Role of Wonder, Discovery, Invention and Ingenuity in Museum Exhibit Design (Abstract-pdf)
- Thesis Project: Talking Trash: Designing a Recycling Experience for the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh presentation
- Discovery Point: Enhancing the Museum Experience w/Technology Presented at ACM/CHI '03 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Paper (Abstract-pdf)
There are 4 publications total. View All
